WW Points Questions

[R_A_C_H]

hi,
I just started the WW Flexpoints program and have a few questions for those who have been on it before. I'm just beginning to realize how bad I am at food choices. For instance, I woke up starving at 5 a.m. and had 2 ham and cheese sandwiches on multi grain bread. When I checked, that was my 20 points for the day.
I could:
1. Not eat anything for th rest of the day.
2. Use some of my flex points for the week.
3. Do an hour of cardio to get 5-6 activity points to swap for food.

What I don't get is, tallying caloric intake for those 2 sandwiches makes only 693 calories. I'm supposed to eat just that much if I stayed on 20 points?

 

[lemoncustard]

Consider this a learning experience. Start a new. If you don't eat for the rest of the day, you will most likely feel that you are starving and be more likely eat more foods that you should not. Move on!

Here are some suggestions to start with:

1. Save a few points for a snack before you go to bed. Perhaps some fruit, popcorn, or even a glass of milk.

2. If you wake up hungry, try drinking a glass of water and go back to sleep. Drinking water throughout the day will help you feel full.

3. Call telephone support at Weight Watchers and see their suggestions.

4. Up your points a little bit until you "adjust" to the plan. Discuss this with your meeting leader.

5. Be more selective in your point choices. Use high fiber, grain bread that has less points. Use fat free mayo. Reduce the amount of meat in your sandwiches. Try fat free cheese. A tablespoon of peanut butter goes a long ways.

6. Try the core program. You can eat the core foods until you feel satisfied.

7. Try to see what triggers eating. Is it normal for you to eat in the middle of the night? Are you threatened by the prospect of success in the program? Do some self-reflection.

The reality is, we all know what we need to do to loose and maintain weight loss. We have choices. The answer is within yourself.

Best wishes,

Rhonda

 

[Venus]

First, go to www.weightwatchers.com and go to the message boards. You can do this even if you aren't an online member. Post your questions on the "newbie" forum.

I would not worry about your ham & cheese thing, it's done. Just eat sensibly the rest of the day using some flexpoints and aps (activity points from cardio).

If your sandwich is only 693, you couldn't have eaten 20 points. 50 cal = roughly 1 point. However you can have more than 1000 calories per day by eating higher fiber lower fat foods. WW gives you a "bonus" for fiber and a "bonus" for low fat. Worst case you ate 14 points but more likely you at even less if your bread is whole grain. You can also up your daily point intake by doing exercise which I highly recommend and assume you are already doing if you are posting here. 20 points is not a lot, but 25 (from APs) is not so bad. I'll tell you what works for me is to save my flexpoints for the weekend and/or emergencies. I also use flexpoints on rest days (when I don't exercise).

Low point ideas:

Most veggies except startchy ones are free (potatoes and corn are not free and carrots are not free after you cook them but they are raw). Make a big batch of soup with fat free veggie or chicken broth and a ton of the free veggies. 1 cup of the soup is 0 points. Any more than 1 cup and you have to start counting it. 2 cups is 1 point. Keep fresh cut veggies around to snack on.

3 egg whites = 1 point, make an omlett with mushrooms and onions sauteed in Pam and 3 egg whites. That whole thing is only one point!

Babara's Bakery makes cereal called Puffins that is 1 point for 3/4 cup. Makes a great snack.

Nature's Own 100% whole wheat bread is 1.5 points for 2 slices.

Kraft Free singles are 1 point per slice.

Hillshire Farms super thin sliced deli style turkey is 1 point for 2 oz I think...double check this one. So you could have a "turkey and cheese" for only 3.5 points if you use lower fat, higher fiber "ingredients".

Most seafood is very low points as long as a lot of fat is not added in cooking. You can have 4 large shrimp for just 1 point.

Most fruits are 1 point. Bananas are 2 points. You can have 1 3/4 cups strawberries for 1 point! Yum!

I could go on but hopefully that will give you a good start. On the WW boards come on over to the Fitness Challenge board too. We have a thread called Cathe Challenge Group for folks on WW and who workout with Cathe. Great group of friendly women!

 

[cjbate]

What great suggestions.

 

[R_A_C_H]

Thank you! Thank you! I love this board. So much support. I'm off to make some soup and veggies.

 

[lfcjasp]

I just started WW a few weeks ago. Let the sandwiches go for now. Eat up some flex points (the fact that you're asking about activity points shows you're about at the same stage as me) or do some Cathe (she's good and intense).

Good luck and God bless you on this endeavor! It's a great program, isn't it??? Combined with Cathe how good can it get???

 

[NinjaMom]

My sister gave me this WW recipe for soup and said it has zero points. I make this often and just keep it in the frig when hunger strikes.

2/3 C sliced carrots
1/2 C diced onion
2 minced garlic cloves
1 1/2 C shredded cabbage
1/2 C fresh green beans
1/2 C zuchini
3 C broth (chicken, veg, beef)
1 T tomato paste
1/2 t dried basil
1/4 t dried oregano
1/4 t salt

Saute onions, carrots & garlic in pan sprayed with Pam until softened. Add broth and remaining ingredients (except zuchini) and simmer 20-25 min. Add zuchini and cook aprox 5 minutes longer.

Note: I scoop out the remaining tomato paste in tablespoon sizes and freeze in a baggie to use with future batches of soup.

Enjoy!:9

JJ